Distinguished delegates, colleagues, and above all—young leaders,

As we wrap up this session, I want to thank each of you for the passion, clarity, and urgency you brought into this space.

You've made it clear: young people are not just seeking jobs—they are demanding decent, meaningful, and future-ready work.

At UNDP, we believe that unlocking youth economic opportunity is one of the most powerful investments a country can make—not just for prosperity, but for peace, climate action, and social cohesion.

AI and the digital transformation are reshaping the world of work, unleashing major economic opportunities while posing the risk of increasing global inequalities. It’s our collective duty to ensure no youth is left behind and can access and benefit from AI’s transformative potential.

And we are acting on that belief—with young people and with partners, including the private sector.

Let me share a few examples.

• UNDP Accelerator Labs are surfacing and scaling-up solutions with local communities - many of whom are women and young people - towards achieving the SDGs. To date, the network, comprising of 91 Labs and covering 115 countries, has identified some 3,000 grassroots solutions, leveraging new resources such as geospatial data and collective intelligence.
• In Asia Pacific, through the multistakeholder Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), over 30,000 youth from all walks of life in the region have meaningfully engaged in action, advocacy, and acceleration of the movement towards a just climate future. As part of this programme, UNDP and International Labour Organization (ILO) have developed two workshop curriculums for youth on entrepreneurship, and on green jobs and just transition. To date, these curriculums have engaged more than 18,000 youth across the Asia-Pacific region through more than 300 youth-led workshops. ·
• In the Arab States region, as part of the Shababeek Youth Portfolio, UNDP has supported 800 entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – 10% of which are youth-led – in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan to accelerate the green growth trajectory, support the local transition to a green and sustainable economy as well as and create decent jobs for women and youth.
• In Africa, the Timbuktoo initiative, launched by UNDP, addresses critical gaps in the continent's startup ecosystem by working collaboratively with governments, investors, corporates, and universities to harness opportunities for innovation.

But we know this is only the beginning.

The global green transition could create over 100 million new jobs by 2030—but only if young people have access to the skills, networks, and capital to lead that transformation. That’s why at UNDP, we are scaling up partnerships with businesses—from clean tech startups to global employers—so they don't just create green jobs, but also make them accessible and inclusive.

And in every case, youth are at the center—from policy design to implementation.

Still, challenges remain. We must break down barriers to finance for young people, close digital divides, and dismantle gender-based discrimination in hiring and entrepreneurship.

To the young people here: the future of work will not be handed to you. But you are already building it—with courage, creativity, and purpose. Keep showing us the way.

Together, we can make the digital and green transitions a youth-powered revolution—one that drives jobs, justice, and a more sustainable world for all.

Thank you.